Two Storms, Side By Side
by murmuring'.breeze
Summary: The pain of losing someone never leaves. Never. For Hermione, it's barely been a week since losing him. No one can help her, and she's never felt so horribly alone. But surprises always occur where you least expect them.
1. Chapter 1

x...Two Storms, side by side...x

**A/N: **Well, sadly I am sick at the moment. So I am not attending school today! Instead I am here posting another story for all of you! How wonderful I am..This is a sad little thing..I think it will be a oneshot..but depending on reviews it may become more.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything apart from the plot. As sad as that is, it is the truth.

_-----------o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o------------_

_The rain pounded on the windows. Like demons trying to break through the gates of hell, the rain tried to penetrate the windows the same way. They strained, trying to stay intact as the sleet struck the glass, each droplet like the blow of a sledgehammer. _

_There was a lone figure in the room, the emotions inside her matching the storm that was raging outside. Another pearl shaped speck trickled down her cheek, landing in her outstretched palm. She was like the storm..everything had been brewing inside her for so long, and now all had broken loose. She was here now, and all alone with only the thunder as a companion._

_Now there are more tears as the pelting rain outside grows stronger and the wind is howling through the trees. Pain racks the girls's body, subjecting her to all that she held inside for so long. How impossible it truly is to keep everything inside, locked away with no way to find a key. Except he had found it. He had opened her heart as no one ever did before. And then he had died, gone away from her, taking the key with him. And so she couldn't close herself up again, because he was the only one that had that power. He had helped kill a greater evil, and yet for her own selfish reasons she would not accept that. He had given his life to save so many others. It had killed her though. How could she live again, when it was he who had made her do just that in the first place? _

_And so she had to come back here to find the answer, only to end up drowning in self pity. This was where they had spent their last moments together, with everyone in the Order fighting the final battle, fighting with all the energy they had. Even Percy, the snob that he was, was there with them. Protecting his kind, with his youngest brother alongside him. When Ron fell, everyone felt the need to avenge him. And so they had won. Won because of Ron, who had been that last kick they needed, the crucial element. Everyone had wept so, while she had sat there in stony silence. His family members were beside themself with grieving, crying through the whole memorial service. And here she was hiding from them now, even though they were all feeling the same thing. The same sense of mourning, and the same sense of loss. Here was where she could cry. Ron had been the candle that had lit their way, and he had been extinguished. He had spared the lives of so many in the Order and he had saved her_. _He had pushed her out of the way of the deadly curse. It had been cast out of no where, and within a split second, and no second thoughts, Ron had stepped in front of her. She wouldn't be here without him. But she didn't want to be here without him. _

_She succumbs to the liquid welling up in her eyes and lets the tears spill over. The storm has reached its peak and shows signs of relenting. The storm within her too, looks like it has broken, only to leave salty sweet tears flowing swiftly down her face. She bawls with all the despair that seeps out of her..and lays on the floor holding her and Ron's wedding picture close to her. Lightning flashes one last time, illuminating her lonely silhouette._


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Thank you to those that reviewed. I wrote another chapter thanks to you.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything but my plot x3

The sky rumbles no more,reflecting Hermione's thoughts. The only evidence that the storm had actually been there was the memory of it. She takes the courage to get up off the floor and look outside. Everything is battered, flowers broken, their fragile petals on the ground. And yet she feels a strange sense of peace. The battle that had killed her for seemingly so long has ended. She's alright; she lived through another night of sorrow. This time she feels like she may just be able to breathe again.

Sunshine creeps shyly out of dark clouds and lights up the world again. Hermione opens the window, and breaths in the sweet smell that lingers in the air after a storm. However, there is some other fragrance there as well.

Good God, it couldn't possibly be, could it? Hermione rushes away from the window, and throws open the closet. At random she grabs one of Ron's old shirts and breaths in the scent.

It's just like the one she had smelled back at the window. Gathering up all her strength, Hermione edges out of the closet and slowly steps closer to the window. A quiet draft arrives to ruffle her hair gently and lingers around the room. The smell of Ron comes along with it, and Hermione is tempted to cry again. But the wind whips back in again only to bring with it a showering of rose petals, all those that fell in the storm outside.

Hermione's eyes well up with tears, but this time they don't fall. For her twenty-second birthday, Ron had given her twenty-two roses as a gift. It had been the most beautiful bouquet she had ever seen, and that was when she had realized just how much she had loved him. He had said only one thing when he had given it to her, "I hope that you remember me, even if we are not together one day."

How could she not? Those roses were still with her, specially dried and in a vase by her headboard.

She hears a smash behind her, and wheels around to see. It's her wedding picture, knocked down off the table. The picture itself is left unharmed, while the glass from the frame is shattered all around it.

In a big gust of wind, the picture is lifted and almost flung at her. Then, all goes quiet.

Hermione takes this time to look down at her hands that now hold the picture of their happiness. Seeing nothing different but two faces smiling up at her, she hesitantly turns the page over.

And there, written in Ron's messy scrawl, were the words "till death do us part." Hermione breaths in sharply, not remembering whether he had ever written anything on the back…

And then she looks up from those words, feeling his presence all around her. Everywhere now, in the way the sun broke through the dark sky, and the way the curtains swayed, and in the draft that still caressed her.

No, Ron was wrong. Death would not part them. He would always be with her, always watch over her. And if she found someone else to love, he would watch over them both. He would be there for her in all that she did. Just as he had been before he died. Because he had never really left her, he had just moved away for a little while.

He had made the greatest sacrifice for her, the gift of life. He had given his up for her to be able to live, to carry on. And so she would, knowing that he would be there every step of the way.

**A/N:** Hope you liked. That's the end of the story, I'll leave you to imagine what happens :)


End file.
